1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications, and more particularly to a system and method for reporting an emergency situation using a wireless device.
2. Background of the Invention
Being a victim of a crime can be a terrible thing for any person. The experience of being the victim could be even worse if the victim could not communicate with others to obtain help. For example, a person being kidnapped or car-jacked is unable to call the police, especially if the person is ordered by his or her kidnapper to disable his or her wireless telephone. Even in a situation in which the kidnapper was initially unaware of the presence of the wireless telephone, the victim's safety could be in jeopardy when his or her attempt to use the wireless telephone is intercepted by the kidnapper.
The widespread use of the wireless telephones in the United States has prompted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate new rules related to emergency call processing. The FCC's wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) rules require certain Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) carriers to begin transmission of enhanced location and identity information in two phases. The first phase, started on Apr. 1, 1998, required wireless service providers to transmit a 911 caller's number and section of the cell site from which the call is originated to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The second phase, starting on Oct. 31, 2001, requires all wireless service providers to locate two-thirds of all 911 callers within 125 meters of their physical locations. In other words, for all 911 calls received, a PSAP must be able to pinpoint 67% of the callers within 125 meters.
Under the FCC rules, wireless communication networks and wireless telephones (or any wireless devices that can be used to call 911), must provide both the identity and location of the caller to a 911 dispatcher. To provide a caller's identify, the wireless device must furnish a device identification, e.g., a mobile identification number (MIN), indicating in most instances the telephone number of the device. To provide a caller's location, the wireless communication networks and wireless devices will use a network-based location system or a handheld location system installed within the wireless devices, or a combination of the two systems. An example of a handheld location system is a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,734, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a GPS receiver and a method for processing GPS signals.
The contemplated E911 location technology will enable the PSAP to know the location of the wireless telephone at the time the 911 call is established. However, the caller must physically dial the number, and the wireless telephone must remain active or on to enable the PSAP to track the location of the wireless telephone. The current technology does not provide a wireless device that can be used to report an emergency situation, and at the same time, appears to have been powered off.